Framework Warns It Can No Longer Absorb Surging Memory Prices

Modular laptop maker Framework has released a transparent and "unfortunate" update addressing severe volatility in the silicon market, following up on previous aggressive price hikes on memory modules, warning that recent component cost spikes have reached a tipping point where it can no longer shield consumers from price increases. According to the company, updated pricing received from suppliers, particularly for specialized LPCAMM2 memory modules featured in its latest Laptop 13 Pro lineup, are more than double previous inventory baselines.

"We’ve consistently held and communicated a philosophy of absorbing price increases wherever we can, making pricing predictable and ensuring that when you place a preorder, you’ll be able to get the product you ordered at the price you ordered it at. We’ve been able to do that to date with Framework Laptop 13 Pro, and have absorbed increases in a number of areas," Framework says.

That effort just ran into a major roadblock as the company navigates broader implications, and Framework says the latest price increases jack up costs far beyond anything it could have predicted. The higher costs would also place Framework's ability to operate at "real financial risk" if it continued to take the full hit without passing on some of the increases to consumers.

The good news is, Framework has enough 64GB inventory to cover initial laptop preorder batches (batches 4-7). However, configurations beyond those thresholds are being adjusted to 32GB modules at the original 32GB module price to mitigate the financial impact.

"After that, we allocated the remaining 32GB modules to DIY Edition and Mainboard preorders configured with 32GB through batch 4 of laptops and batch 7 of Mainboards. For DIY Edition and Mainboard orders beyond that configured with 32GB, we’ve updated the order configuration to use a 16GB module at the original 16GB price," Framework adds.

Framework maintains that it will continue adjusting prices transparently only as much as needed to cover raw cost increases, pledging to pass savings back down if component prices eventually stabilize. As part of that, it's updated pricing on its website for new preorders, saying that its new LPCAMM2 pricing is below the substantially higher cost it's sourcing the modules at. That means its 16GB LPCAMM2 pricing is still the same, but Framework anticipates it too will go up once the company runs out of its existing inventory.